HONORS TEACHING SCHOLAR, DR. CAROLINA GONZÁLEZ'S RECENT ARTICLE PUBLICATION
June 27, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Carolina González, Associate Professor of Spanish in the Department of Modern Languages & Linguistics and Honors Teaching Scholar, on her recently published an article titled, "Creaky Voice and Prosodic Boundaries in Spanish: An Acoustic Study" in the journal, Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics, published by De Gruyter in May 2022.
BRENNA MILLER, HONORS IN THE MAJOR STUDENT, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
June 22, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program congratulates Honors in the Major student, Brenna Miller, on being named an FSU Student Star for June 2022. Brenna is double-majoring in both Woodwind Performance & Editing, Writing, and Media. While at FSU, Brenna Miller has participated in the FSU Marching Chiefs, as well as conducted UROP and IDEA Grant research on dance and popular culture and the mapping of Tallahassee musical communities respectively.
“FSU has given me amazing opportunities to pursue my passions, because I’ve been able to do more than just perform on a stage and write,” she said. “They’ve really been encouraging of me studying different disciplines, and I’ve been able to pursue what I’m interested in.”
DR. TAREZ GRABAN, HONORS TEACHING SCHOLAR- SPRING 2022 PRESENTATIONS & RELEASE OF CO-EDITED BOOK
June 20, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Tarez Graban, Honors Teaching Scholar and English Department faculty, on the recent release of her co-edited book, Teaching through the Archives: Text, Collaboration, and Activism (Southern Illinois Press, 2022). During Spring 2022, Dr. Graban also presented at a number of conferences and delivered invited guest lectures at two universities.
HONORS IN THE MAJOR ALUMNUS, ELIAS LARRALDE, RECEIVES SOCIETY OF AMERICAN ARCHIVISTS FORMAN SCHOLARSHIP
June 16, 2022
Elias Larralde graduated in Fall 2020 with a bachelor's degree in History and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Library and Information Science, with a certificate in Archival Studies, at the University of Arizona. While at FSU, Elias completed an Honors in the Major thesis project, was selected as an Honors Conference Attendance Award winner, and was featured on the FSU Department of History's website for his thesis project work. He has recently been selected as the 2022 recipient of the Josephine Forman Scholarship from the Society of American Archivists (SAA). "The $10,000 scholarship provides financial support to students of color pursuing graduate education in archival science, encourages students to pursue careers as archivists, and promotes the diversification of the American archives profession." (from June 2022 SAA News Release)
During his time at FSU, Elias also worked with Honors in the Major faculty member, Dr. Michael Franklin, on the FSU LGBT Oral History Project of North Florida .
MEREDITH ELLIS, RECENT HONORS GRADUATE, REFLECTS ON THE RESEARCH AND LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AT FSU
June 15, 2022
During her time at FSU, Meredith Ellis, recent honors graduate, explored many avenues of undergraduate research and student leadership. She advises students to seize the many opportunities that are offered. "Since graduating, I have not regretted a single course, program, club, activity of opportunity that I tried; I only regret the things that I didn't [try]. College accounts for such a short period of your life, but it is your time to try everything that you can!"
Meredith completed her B.S. in Psychology, with a minor in Sociology, and plans to earn a doctorate in Social Psychology to uncover more about the effects of prejudice and discrimination. The Honors Program is incredibly proud of Meredith and wishes her great success in her future endeavors! Read the e-interview with Meredith to learn more about her and her experiences at FSU.
GUISSELLA ELIZABETH CRUZ RODRIGUEZ NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
June 15, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program congratulates recent graduate and Honors in the Major student, Guissella Elizabeth Cruz Rodriguez, on being named an FSU Student Star for June 2022. During her time at FSU, she was involved in the Service Scholars Program, which selects first year students for their "excellence in service and leadership in planning and promoting community involvement. "The Service Scholars Program taught me how to approach service in an efficient and effective manner within Leon County, specifically among marginalized and vulnerable communities, including survivors of sexual violence. We are taught how to serve and make a real impact in a way that’s sustainable and truly empowers the people we’re serving." Guissella was also involved in undergraduate research on social justice and human rights issues. She is currently working as a community outreach specialist with Legal Services of North Florida, which provides pro bono legal services in Leon County, and hopes to eventually pursue a J.D. and Ph.D. in Sociology and advocate for survivors of sexual violence.
FOUR HONORS STUDENTS EARN GILMAN SCHOLARSHIPS TO STUDY ABROAD THIS SUMMER
June 9, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program congratulates four of our outstanding students, who have received Gilman Scholarships to study abroad this summer. "The scholarship enables American students to gain proficiency in diverse languages and cultures, skills that are critically important to their academic and career development." Congratulations to the following honors students:
- Hannah Fulk (Public Relations & Interdisciplinary Social Sciences) - Spain.
- Gabriela Gavranic dos Reis, (International Affairs) - Brazil
- Tina Lu (Music) - Czech Republic.
- Samantha Salisbury (Biological Sciences) - Spain.
(Photo Credit: FSU News)
PRIDE MONTH: FSU LIBRARIES & THE HONORS PROGRAM SHOWCASE A COLLABORATIVE WORK ON THE HISTORICAL TALLAHASSEE PUBLISHING COMPANY, NAIAD PRESS, AT THE FSU MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
June 8, 2022
[FSU News] Honors Program faculty member, Dr. Michael Franklin, and several honors student have collaborated with the FSU Libraries on an oral history project, which is now on exhibit at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA). The exhibition is called, “It’s a Lot Like Falling in Love: Legacies of Naiad Press and the Tallahassee Lesbian Community,” and it explores the life and legacy of Naiad Press, a lesbian publishing company that operated in Tallahassee from 1980 to 2003. Dr. Franklin and honors students in his LGBTQ Oral History Methods course recruited, conducted, transcribed, and interpreted twelve oral history interviews that were gathered over the last year, and then collaborated with the MoFA to curate the exhibit.
The exhibit's opening is today at the FSU Museum of Fine Arts from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Below is the June 10, 2022 Florida State Headlines interview with Dr. Michael Franklin on the oral history project and the exhibit.
(Photo Credit: FSU News; Recorded Interview Credit: Florida State Headlines)
ABRIL HUNTER, HONORS STUDENT, RECENTLY NAMED TRUMAN SCHOLAR, AND FSU PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR, EARNS PRESTIGIOUS UDALL SCHOLARSHIP
June 6, 2022
[FSU News] At the end of the Spring 2022 semester, Abril Hunter was named a 2022 Truman Scholar, selected as one of 58 recipients from a pool of 706 candidates nationwide. She has now earned another prestigious and coveted award: The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. The Udall Foundation selects students who are dedicated to "Native American self-governance, health care and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources." The scholarship will provide $7,000 toward her senior year of academic study. In August, Abril will meet with the other scholarship recipients, as well as program alumni, tribal leaders, and environmental experts in Tucson, Arizona.
(Photo Credit: FSU Photography Services)
KIERSTEN WRIGHT
June 6, 2022
[The English Department] This past spring, the Honors Program had the privilege to watch many of our best and brightest students walk across the stage at the Honors Medallion Ceremony at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall. One of these exceptional students was Kiersten Wright, a 2019 Gates Scholarship recipient, an FSU English Department awards winner, and a recent Honors Program Outstanding Senior Scholar. The English Department recently featured Kiersten on their website, including an e-interview about her time in the Honors Program and her Honors in the Major creative thesis project, Sunonoma, under the direction of Robert O. Lawton Professor of English, Dr. David Kirby.
(Photo Credit: Bruce Palmer, FSU Communications. From left to right: Honors Director, Dr. Annette Schwabe, Kiersten Wright, and FSU President, Dr. Richard McCullough)
PRISCILLA REYES
June 1, 2022
Opportunities abound at Florida State University, and Priscilla Reyes, honors student and Public Health major, is making the most of all that FSU has to offer! In her short time thus far at Florida State University, Priscilla has fully immersed herself in the medical field, researching hypertension with the FSU/FAMU Global Health Collaboration Project, creating a student organization for pre-med majors to learn more about treating patients with compassion, and participating in an externship at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with the Internal Medicine Unit. Priscilla's anticipated graduation date is Spring 2024, after which she plans to attend medical school.
TWO RECENT HONORS GRADUATES EARN FULBRIGHT SCHOLARHSIPS
May 27, 2022
[FSU News] Nine Florida State University students are the recipients of the the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship, which is funded by the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Of the nine recipients, two are recent graduates from the Honors Program: Lauren "Kinsey" Kuhlman (Spring '22) and Alexa Scalchunes (Fall '21). Kinsey studied International Affairs and will work in Brazil. Alexa studied International Affairs and will pursue her master's degree in Global Development at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark.
ELENA VILLAMAGNA
May 23, 2022
The Honors Program enjoys featuring our wonderful and hardworking students! This past semester, we had the pleasure of interviewing Elena Villamagna, whose major is Public Health. Prior to attending FSU, Elena took a gap year, during which she completed her doula certification through DONA. During her time at FSU, she has participated in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) studying the postpartum period following a woman giving birth. Elena hope to one day have a career in midwifery.
HANNA McDANIEL, HONORS STUDENT, RECIPIENT OF NOAA HOLLINGS SCHOLARSHIP
May 16, 2022
[FSU News] Honors student and Meteorology major, Hanna McDaniel, was selected as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hollings Scholarship winner. This scholarship will provide Hanna with funding for two years of full-time study and a 10 week, full-time paid internship at the NOAA facility during the summer between the two years of study. Hanna hopes to pursue her doctorate in meteorology upon graduation from FSU in 2024.
THREE SPRING 2022 OUTSTANDING SENIOR SCHOLARS EARN PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIPS
May 12, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program is proud to recognize Jessica Dixon, Leanna Gharbaoui, and Trystan Loustau, three of our recent honors graduates and Spring 2022 Outstanding Senior Scholars, who have earned research grants through the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program. These fellowships will provide each student with both an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of attendance allowance of $12,000 for up to three years, while they are completing research toward their doctoral degrees.
Photo Credit: FSU News
HONORS STUDENT, KAYLA DUNCAN, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
May 10, 2022
[FSU News] Congratulations to Kayla Duncan, senior honors student and Music Therapy major, on being named an FSU Student Star for May 2022! During her time at FSU, Kayla has brought music therapy to a variety of clinical settings, including hospitals, schools, adult day care, correctional facilities, and behavioral health centers. In July, Kayla will intern at the state mental health facility in Chattahoochee, Florida. Post-graduation in Fall 2022, she plans to earn a master's degree in Counseling and a doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Photo Credit: FSU News
FSU AWARDS 363 HONORS MEDALLIONS AT SPRING 2022 CEREMONY
May 5, 2022
[FSU News] On April 25, 2022, The Honors Program celebrated 363 high-achieving graduates at the Honors Medallion Ceremony held in Ruby Diamond Auditorium. Of those, 225 students completed the University Honors program requirements; 94 students completed an Honors in the Major project; 18 students completed both University Honors program requirements and an Honors in the Major project; and 26 students completed University Honors program requirements, an Honors in the Major project, and graduated with a 3.9 or higher GPA from Florida State University. Speakers included FSU President, Richard McCullough; FSU Honors Program Director, Dr. Annette Schwabe; Associate Director of Alumni & Student Engagement, Amy Haggard; and FSU Honors Program Associate Director, Jeff Badger.
Photo Credit: Raeanna Murray
DR. AZAT GÜNDOĞAN RECEIVES UNIVERSITY TEACHING AWARD
May 5, 2022
Congratulations to Dr. Azat Gündoğan, Honors Program faculty member, who was recently selected to receive a University Teaching Award, specifically the Inclusive Teaching and Mentoring Award. This award honors faculty who teach courses designed explicitly to be inclusive, so that all students can flourish. The award may also honor faculty, who serve as role models or mentor students beyond the classroom.
HONORS STUDENT, HANNAH FULK, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR FOR MAY 2022
May 4, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program congratulates Hannah Fulk on being named an FSU Student Star for May 2022. Hannah is a senior majoring in Public Relations and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. During her time at FSU, Hannah has worked on research concerning transgender individuals and hopes to use her research to educate others on LGBTQ+ issues and help FSU become a more diverse and inclusive community. This summer, Hannah will participate in the Moellership Program, which provides FSU students the opportunity to focus up to 12 weeks of service at a non-profit agency. She will serve as a communications intern for a social impact agency in Barcelona, Spain.
Photo Credit: FSU News
CAITLYN MANN, HONORS STUDENT, SELECTED AS STUDENT EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR
April 15, 2022
[FSU News] Congratulations to Caitlyn Mann, employed by FSU Office of Financial Aid, who was selected as the '21-'22 Tony DiBenedetto Undergraduate FSU Student Employee of the Year during the Career Center's Student Employee of the Year Awards Ceremony, held virtually on April 13, 2022. She was selected for her contribution to outreach efforts within the Office of Financial Aid and for demonstrating "strength, skill and character while delivering exceptional customer service and always going above and beyond the duties of [her] role."
Photo Credit: FSU News
ABRIL HUNTER, HONORS STUDENT AND PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR, NAMED A 2022 TRUMAN SCHOLAR
April 14, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program would like to recognize and celebrate Abril Hunter's selection as a 2022 Truman Scholar. Abril was chosen as one of 58 Truman Scholars from a pool of 706 candidates nominated nationwide. The Truman Scholarship awards up to $30,000 to undergraduate students, who plan to attend graduate or professional school in preparation for careers in public service. After graduation this May, Abril plans to attend graduate school to study urban and regional planning, with a concentration on social justice, climate resiliency, and urban development.
“This university has helped me grow into a young student leader who is an agent for change throughout campus, and I am in awe to say that I am a 2022 Truman scholar,” Hunter said. “I am forever grateful to this institution for the love it has taught and instilled in me for not only leadership but public service.”
Photo Credit: FSU News
DR. MICHAEL FRANKLIN RECEIVES FACULTY UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MENTOR AWARD
April 13, 2022
Honors in the Major faculty member, Dr. Michael D. Franklin, was chosen as the winner of the Florida State University 2022 Faculty Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. The Center for Undergraduate Research & Academic Engagement (CRE) gives out this annual university award to a faculty member who demonstrates excellence in mentoring undergraduate students via the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
DHENU PATEL, HONORS AND HONORS IN THE MAJOR STUDENT, EARNS PRESTIGIOUS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP
April 13, 2022
[FSU News] Honors & Honors in the Major Program student, Dhenu Patel, is one of two FSU students to earn a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship. This award recognizes exceptional juniors and seniors for their research in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering fields and provides them with scholarships up to $7,500 for continued undergraduate educational expenses. Dhenu is a junior studying exercise physiology with a research focus on cancer. She hopes to pursue a career in medical research after graduation.
Photo Credit: FSU News
DANIEL ZUÑIGA, HONORS AND HONORS IN THE MAJOR STUDENT, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
April 12, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program would like to congratulate Daniel Zuñiga on being named an April 2022 FSU Student Star. Daniel is studying Cell and Molecular Neuroscience with a focused interest on space medicine. Along with the help of College of Health & Human Sciences faculty, he has researched the effects of space radiation and microgravity in humans. Currently, Daniel is working on an Honors in the Major project studying the effects of nicotine on the brain and developmental disorders. After graduation, he hopes to attend medical school.
"FSU has given me the opportunity to grow as a student leader and has motivated me to create an open learning environment on campus. In the future, I want to give back to the FSU and Tallahassee communities for the opportunities I have been given and hope my involvement inspires other students to achieve their goals, no matter the hurdles. Thus, I hope my involvement at the College of Medicine serves as an inspiration for other students that it is possible to be a minority, scientist and physician."
Photo Credit: FSU News
HONORS ALUMNA, KRISTINA LYNCH, TO RECEIVE ALUMNI AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP
March 28, 2022
Kristina Lynch (B.S. ’21) will receive the Alumni Ambassador Scholarship on Friday, April 8, 2022 at the FSU Alumni Association Spring Alumni Awards. The FSU Alumni Ambassadors Scholarship seeks students who have demonstrated commitment, vision and potential for lifelong leadership and innovation in their communities and around the world.
HONORS ALUMNA AND FSU LAW STUDENT, KAYLA NEAL, PART OF WINNING TEAM at NATIONAL MOCK TRIAL COMPETITION
March 22, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program would like to recognize former honors student, Kayla Neal, and the FSU College of Law's Black Law Students Association (FSU BLSA) on placing first out of sixteen other law school teams in the national Constance Baker Motley Mock Trial Competition. Kayla is a third-year law student in the FSU College of Law. Congratulations!
Photo Credit: FSU News
HONORS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN VIRTUAL RELIGION CONFERENCE HOSTED BY FSU
March 11-13, 2022
Each year, the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature-- the two largest academic societies dedicated to the study of religion--come together to hold national and regional conferences. This year's conference was hosted by Florida State University. On Friday, March 11th, five of Dr. Ross Moret's students from his Fall 2021 Honors Signature Course, "Freedom and Religion: Liberal, Christian, and Muslim Perspectives," virtually presented papers they had written during the fall term as part of the three day online conference.
SAEJIN ALBRIGHT, HONORS STUDENT, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
March 1, 2022
[FSU News] Congratulations to Honors Colloquium Leader, Saejin Albright, on being named FSU's Student Star for March 2022! Saejin is an honors student, pursuing a medical degree in Family & Child Science. During the Fall 2021 semester, she served as an Honors Colloquium Leader, teaching a course designed to help first-year honors students grow personally, intellectually, and socially. She has also been involved with the Center for Leadership and Social Change's Service Scholar Program, which is designed to help students discover ways to engage and make meaning changes in their communities.
"Through the various leadership roles I have held at FSU, I have learned that true leadership means leading by example and serving those in need."
Photo Credit: FSU News
POWER OF WE GOES TO SAN FRANCISCO
February 16, 2022
Four members of Power of WE, including Trystan Loustau, Jamie Guterman, Gustavo Capone, and Travis Zittrauer, recently traveled to San Francisco to share their research at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) Annual Convention.
Power of We is a student-run organization that seeks to bridge civic divides on campus using research-driven programming. Power of WE’s Research Committee, chaired by senior psychology major Trystan Loustau, gathers insights from the latest research on interventions for decreasing political polarization to design events that bring students of diverse ideological backgrounds together.
POWER OF WE: HEALTH SUMMIT
February 9, 2022
On February 9th, 2022, Power of WE (PoWE) hosted it’s first ever summit style event. PoWE is a student-run organization that works directly with the Office of the President and the Division of Student Affairs to address campus siloes and bridge civic divides among groups on campus. Seeing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the politicization of healthcare and vaccines in the United States, PoWE leaders decided to create an event looking at the responsibility of healthcare in the U.S. and address civic divides in how we view the health of our society.
DR. AZAT GÜNDOĞAN'S RECENT ARTICLE PUBLICATION, "THE NEW LEFT IN TURKEY'S LONG SIXTIES."
February 7, 2022
Dr. Azat Gündoğan, Honors Program faculty member, recently published an article in the journal, Turkish Historical Review. The journal focuses on Turkish history from the 6th century to the 20th century. The article is titled "The New Left in Turkey's Long Sixties: The Kurdish '68ers and the Workers' Party of Turkey."
HONORS & HONORS IN THE MAJOR STUDENT, NI'A LANDON, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
February 1, 2022
[FSU News] The Honors Program would like to recognize and congratulate Ni'A Landon as FSU's Student Star for February 2022. Ni'A is a Public Relations major with a minor in Business Administration. In 2021, she was selected as an Executive Leadership Council Scholar. The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) is an organization, which focuses on the development of Black leaders around the world. Ni'A has organized and participated in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) panels within the School of Communication to bring awareness to the need for increased diversity on campus. She has also written and published articles on DEI issues, including multicultural identities. Ni'A has completed an undergraduate Honors in the Major thesis titled, “Where do we go from here? The Social and Cultural Power of Black Twitter in 2020," which "examines the presence of Black Twitter and its power to facilitate worldwide social and cultural discussions around the Black experience."
Photo Credit: FSU News
HONORS IN THE MAJOR ALUMNA, ASHLEY ARCHER, PUTS HER RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE AS A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST CLINICAL FELLOW
February 1, 2022
Honors in the Major (HITM) alumna, Ashley Archer, completed both her B.S. ('19) and M.S. ('21) in Communication Science & Disorders at Florida State University. As an undergraduate, under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Madden, she completed her thesis on, "Effects of Cognitive-Linguistic Load on Gait Performance in Persons with Aphasia," which she later published and presented at the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association in 2019. Ashley is currently working in Destin, Florida as a Speech Language Pathologist Clinical Fellow.
HONORS IN THE MAJOR STUDENT, SOFIA VARELA HERNANDEZ, RECEIVES FSU LIBRARIES PEN & INC. AWARD
January 27, 2022
Honors in the Major [HITM] student, Sofia Varela Hernandez, was recently awarded a Project Enhancement Network & Incubator (Pen & Inc) Program Grant from the Florida State University Libraries to work on a digital component of her HITM thesis. The PEN & Inc. Program offers funding, mentorship, and development of new digital projects that will be hosted on CreateFSU's digital platform. [LEARN MORE]
Sofia's research focuses on nineteenth century children's book bindings held in FSU's John MacKay Shaw Collection of Childhood in Poetry. An e-interview was conducted with Sofia to learn more about her HITM project, her experiences within the Honors in the Major Program, and how the Pen & Inc grant is supporting her research endeavors.
TWO HONORS PROGRAM ALUMNI RECEIVE MCKNIGHT DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
January 14, 2021
[FSU News] Two Honors Program alumni, Royce Pokela ('20, Mechanical Engineering) and Daniel Betancourt ('08, Biomedical Sciences), were selected, along with over 20 other FSU graduate students from underrepresented populations, to receive fellowships from The Florida Education Fund's McKnight Doctoral and Dissertation Programs. The doctoral fellowship, which both honors alumni received, provides $17,000 per year for up to five years.
[Photo Credit for Individual Photos: FSU News and The Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards website]
FALL 2021 "SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC DISCOURSE" STUDENTS COMPLETE PROJECT IN THE FSU LIBRARIES' SPECIAL COLLECTIONS & ARCHIVES
January 12, 2021
During Fall 2021, students enrolled in the Dr. Tarez Graban's Honors Signature Course, "Sustainable Public Discourse," completed a project in the FSU Special Collections & Archives as part of American Archives Month. They worked in the "Florida Conservation Collection," specially assembled as a collaboration between Dr. Graban, Krystal Thomas (Digital Archivist), and Rory Grennan (Manuscripts Archivist) in 2020, and digitized by Krystal Thomas that same year.
Four students from the course -- Miranda Fuller, Kate Kramer, Eli McKown-Dawson, and Nadia Rassech -- offered up excerpts of their archival projects for publication on Illuminations, the official blog of the FSU Special Collections & Archives Division (SCA) which highlights ongoing research, active learning, and community engagement. We're excited to announce that their work will occur over a series of three blog posts appearing on January 21, January 28, and February 4.
DR. MICHAEL FRANKLIN AWARDED GRANT FROM FSU LIBRARIES
January 4, 2021
Honors in the Major faculty member, Dr. Michael D. Franklin, has been awarded a Project Enhancement Network & Incubator (PEN & Inc) grant from FSU Libraries to work on a digital web site for the summer 2022 exhibition at FSU’s Museum of Fine Arts, tentatively titled “Naiad Press and Tallahassee Lesbian Communities, 1980 to 2003.”
![[FSU News Photo] Fall 2021 Honors Medallion Ceremony. Students in business casual wear are sitting in chairs, wearing their Honors Medallions and smiling at the camera. Camera angle was from the students' left hand side.](/sites/g/files/upcbnu561/files/inline-images/FA21-Medallion-2-600x600-2_1.jpg)
FSU HONORS PROGRAM PRESENTS 68 HONORS MEDALLIONS DURING FALL 2021 MEDALLION CEREMONY
December 17, 2021
[FSU News] The Honors Program presented a total of 68 honors medallions to the Honors Program graduating class of Fall 2021: 48 graduates from the University Honors Program; 12 graduates from the Honors in the Major Program; 3 graduates, completing both the University Honors Program and Honors in the Major Program requirements; and 5 graduates completing both programs' requirements and graduating Summa Cum Laude, with a GPA of 2.9 or higher. Congratulations to all, and we wish you great success in your future endeavors!
HONORS STUDENT-ATHLETES CELEBRATE FSU'S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN WOMEN'S SOCCER
December 6, 2021
The Honors Program proudly recognizes and congratulates three FSU Women's Soccer Team's honors student-athletes on their National Championship win on December 6, 2021: Lauren Flynn, Taya Hjorth, and Kristina Lynch (FSU Honors Graduate Spring 2021)
"...I learned about the importance of our FSU community and how helpful my fellow students, professors and coaches have been while I work to balance my academic obligations with our soccer schedule. I am very grateful for the support of the Honors Program all along the way and I look forward to the next two and a half years in this very special community." - Lauren Flynn
[Photo Credit: Seminoles.com]
AOIFE TROTTER, HONORS & HONORS IN THE MAJOR STUDENT, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
December 2, 2021
[FSU News] The Honors and Honors in the Major Programs would like to recognize and congratulate Aoife Trotter on being named FSU's Student Star for December. Aoife is a junior at FSU studying psychology and social work. During her time thus far at FSU, she has been involved with the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), serving as a research assistant with the Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic. As part of her research under the guidance of research professor, Brad Schmidt, she worked on a virtual treatment for sexual assault survivors with anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Her work led her to apply for an IDEA grant to further study specific communities, like the LGBTQ community, which are often left out of research studies on sexual assault. Her research was then presented this past fall at the President's Showcase for Undergraduate Research Excellence. Aoife will also complete an Honors in the Major research project, which features the use of an app to help reduce post-traumatic distress. After graduation in Summer 2023, she plans work on her Master's in Social Work.
“FSU has provided me with opportunities for learning inside and outside of the classroom. My time here has taught me skills like leadership, creative research processes and perseverance that will remain with me throughout my academic and post-graduate career.”
HONORS TEACHING SCHOLAR AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF HISTORY, DR. G. KURT PIEHLER'S RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK
December 1, 2021
Dr. G. Kurt Piehler, Associate Professor of History at FSU and Director of the Institute on World War II and the Human Experience, has just published a book with the University of Nebraska Press titled, "A Religious History of the American GI in World War II." Dr. Piehler will also partner with the Honors Program this coming spring to teaching an Honors Signature Course titled, "Documenting Race, Gender, Work, and War Through Oral History."
HITM STUDENT, KAIA STEVENSON'S RECENT JOURNAL ARTICLE PUBLICATION
November 8, 2021
The Honors in the Major Program is proud to recognize Kaia Stevenson for her recent article publication in the Seminars in Speech and Language online journal. The article, "Which speech sound norms are used in the U.S. public schools? A retrospective survey analysis," was built from her HITM research project completed in Spring 2021 under the direction of Dr. Kelly Farquharson.
After graduation in Spring 2022, Kaia plans to pursue a career in speech pathology, working with children as a clinician.
HONORS FACULTY, DR. ROSS MORET'S LECTURE ON "POTENTIAL FOR APOCALYPSE: VIOLENCE AND ESCATOLOGY IN ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT, 2021"
November 2021
Dr. Ross Moret, recently gave a lecture entitled "Potential for Apocalypse: Violence and Eschatology in the Israel-Palestine Conflict, 2021" for the Global Islam: Current Debates talk series in the University of Nebraska's Arabic Studies Program. The lecture was an update on a paper of the same name originally authored in 2008. In the original paper, Moret argues that the conflict in Israel-Palestine has helped to produce one of the world’s most consistently volatile geographical hotbeds.
HONORS PROGRAM ALUMNI JESSE MARKS AND JORDAN ROGERS, RECOGNIZED AT YOUNG ALUMNI AWARDS CEREMONY
November 8, 2021
[FSU News] The Florida State University Alumni Association recognized 19 young alumni, aged 25 years or younger, for their significant contributions to their professions, communities, and FSU at the annual Young Alumni Awards on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. Two of these "Notable Noles" are former Honors Program students:
- Jesse Marks (Honors in the Major Program, B.A. '16) is a foreign affairs specialist working for the Department of Defense
- Jordan Rogers (Honors Program, B.S. '08, M.D. '12), who works as an emergency medicine physician at Alteon Health. Jordan was also presented with the Reubin O'D. Askew Young Alumni Award, which is the highest honor given to young alumni by the FSU Alumni Association.
HONORS STUDENTS REPRESENT FSU IN FALL 2021 HOMECOMING COURT
November 4, 2021
The Honors Program would like to congratulate and recognize two of its current students, Jonathan Marcus and Sneha Kapil, and two of its former students and recent FSU graduates, Hannah Kelsey and Paxton Rhoads, for their selection to represent FSU in the Fall 2021 Homecoming Court. Each year, students apply to be part of the FSU Homecoming Court representing the best of FSU during Homecoming. These engaged student leaders are given the opportunity to showcase their love for FSU through participation in various events both on campus and in the Tallahassee community.
"Florida State’s Honors Program provided me with the foundations to fight for the issues that I am passionate about on our campus, which eventually turned into serving in Student Government and representing my communities on Homecoming Court. Without the curriculum of the program’s focus on social justice and advocacy, I would have never forged the path that led me to this opportunity"
- Jonathan Marcus, Homecoming Court
HONORS ALUM & MASTER'S STUDENT, KRISTINA LYNCH, SHINES ON AND OFF THE FIELD
November 3, 2021
[FSU College of Health & Human Sciences News] Recent Honors Program and Honors in the Major Program graduate, Kristina Lynch, was recently featured on the College of Health and Human Sciences home page as a master's student and Forward for the Seminoles Soccer team, who gives 100% both in her studies and on the soccer field. She has earned several awards during her time at FSU, including the Elite 90 Award, the Golden Torch Award (2020), a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team (2019), and three scholarships from the College of Health and Human Sciences. During her time as an undergraduate, the Seminoles Soccer team won the NCAA Championship (2018), the ACC Championship (2020), and placed second in the 2020 College Cup. Kristina is working on her master's in Exercise Physiology and is considering becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
“Soccer has taught me so many lessons and shaped me into the person I am today. All those lessons about work ethic and accountability and teamwork I think I’ll be able to use in whatever career I do in the future.”
[Photo Credit: FSU Athletics]
CHRISTELLE BUCAG, HONORS STUDENT & PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
November 2, 2021
[FSU News] The Honors Program would like to congratulate and recognize honors student and Presidential Scholar, Christelle Bucag, for being selected as an FSU Student Star for November. Christelle is a junior studying Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences and has been actively involved in FSU's Filipino Student Association (FSA), serving as its president. Through an Honors Signature Course (formerly an Honors Experience Course), she completed a research project on hospital architecture's influence on health care, which was included in the undergraduate research journal, The Owl, and the Spring 2021 Honors Experience Symposium. After graduation in Spring 2023, Christelle plans to attend medical school.
“One of the biggest things FSU has provided me with is that familial, warm, tight-knit culture you see across campus,” Bucag said. “This is something that I always try to enact in my interactions on campus.”
THE FSU COMMUNITY REMEMBERS FORMER DEAN KAREN LAUGHLIN DURING MEMORIAL CEREMONY
October 22, 2021
[FSU News] On Thursday, October 21, 2021, the FSU Community celebrated the life and legacy of the late Karen Laughlin, who served as the Dean of Undergraduate Studies for 17 years and also held a tenured position as an associate professor of English. During the ceremony, a stained glass window was unveiled to commemorate her leadership and many endeavors to enhance the student experience at FSU. The window includes Karen Laughlin's photo with the following text below:
“In memory of Dr. Karen Laughlin, Dean of Undergraduate Studies and tireless advocate, mentor and friend to students. Karen had envisioned bringing together great minds under one roof — that vision became the Honors, Scholars and Fellows House. Welcome!”
POWER OF WE HOSTS "THE LONGEST TABLE AT FSU"
October 18, 2021
[Summary provided by Dean Khan, Honors Program Student & Power of WE Team Member]
The Longest Table is a model event originally created by the City of Tallahassee and The Village Square to explore the principle that facilitating open dialogue within the community can enable us to co-create a better one. At our event, participants shared a meal together, this year catered by Four Rivers and Jimmy Johns (for vegetarian options), and also shared meaningful dialogue surrounding a themed topic. This year we also had the esteemed opportunity of having President Richard McCullough speak on Power of We and the Longest Table, as well as joining us during the event.
The theme for this event was framed around "The Future of FSU". FSU students, faculty, and staff were provided with a set of questions at the event that delved into how they envision FSU’s campus environment along with some more general questions surrounding topics in line with more broad “future-themed” socio-political topics.
DR. TAREZ GRABAN'S RECENT ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY PUBLICATION, "GLOBAL AND NON-WESTERN RHETORICS: SOURCES FOR COMPARATIVE RHETORICAL STUDIES."
October 2021
Associate Professor of English and Honors Teaching Scholar, Tarez Graban, recently published a 65,000 word annotated bibliography "Global and Non-Western Rhetorics: Sources for Comparative Rhetorical Studies," in Volume 9 of the online journal, Present Tense: A Journal of Rhetoric and Society. Co-edited with two collaborators, Dr. Anne Melfi and Dr. Nicole Khoury, this peer-reviewed annotated bibliography is the first of its kind, reflecting the joint efforts of 25 scholars of various cultural and comparative rhetorical traditions, and taking two years to complete.
DR. AZAT GÜNDOĞAN'S CHAPTER IN THE ANTHOLOGY, THE POWER OF POPULISM AND PEOPLE.
September 30, 2021
Dr. Azat Gündoğan, Honors Program Faculty, has contributed a chapter to the recently published anthology, The Power of Populism and People: Resistance and Protest in the Modern World. Dr. Gündoğan's chapter, "Caught between Kemalist and Islamist Authoritarianisms: The Masses as Auxiliary Power in Turkey, 1923 to Present, Azat Gundogan," provides a "long-term historical-sociological account of Turkish authoritarianism which considers both political economy of regime change.... and the role of official ideologies in mobilizing the masses."
KIERSTEN KIARA WRIGHT: GATES SCHOLAR, ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AWARDS WINNER, WRITER, AND EDITOR
September 30, 2021
The Honors Program is proud to recognize Kiersten Kiara Wright as one of our outstanding honors students! Kiersten is an active Creative Writing major in her final year at Florida State University. She is the recipient of multiple writing awards, a writer and editor for two online publications, and a Bill and Melinda Gates Scholarship recipient. She is also currently working on an Honors in the Major project, which will be a collection of poetry that Kiersten has written on the process of spiritual awakening.
"Looking back on my younger years, it’s clear today that I’ve always had a vivid imagination and a knack for writing, but I never had the opportunity to develop either of these due to a lack of resources. The English Department programs and faculty—and FSU, in general—have provided me with countless incredible resources to help me improve my writing skills and boost my confidence when it comes to my creative abilities."
MARVIN SUAREZ-PIMIENTA, RECENT RECIPIENT OF TWO PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
September 23, 2021
The Honors Program would like to congratulate Marvin Suarez-Pimienta, who was recently selected as the recipient of two prestigious national scholarships: The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. The combined total for the two awarded scholarships is $10,000. Marvin plans to use scholarships to fund a Directed Individual Study in Veracruz during the summer of 2022, prepare for the LSAT, and set up merit scholarship for other FSU students who identify as Hispanic/Latinx.
"As the first member of my immediate and extended family to pursue a Bachelor’s degree at a university, I recognize there are financial, social, systemic, and cultural barriers that bar us from opportunities. Nonetheless, as an adamant believer of fortune cookie philosophy, the difference between obstacles and stepping stones is how you use them. It is surreal to ponder all that I have accomplished here at FSU. I feel very fortunate to belong to this community and to represent us on the national stage. These scholarship awards are testaments to our mission of social mobility, cross cultural competency, and economic prosperity."
EMMA DAVIS, HONORS STUDENT & PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLAR, NAMED FSU STUDENT STAR
September 3, 2021
Major: History and French Minor: Museum Studies and Humanities
[FSU News] Congratulations to Emma Davis, Honors Student and Presidential Scholar, on being named an FSU Student Star! While at FSU, Emma has been involved with the Institute on World War II, first as a research assistant through the FSU Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), then also helping to curate an exhibit with the Institute Director and Associate Professor of History, Dr. G. Kurt Piehler, featuring women in World War II.
“My experiences at FSU have given me professional experience and training to take on new exciting opportunities,” she said. “I look forward to what is to come next.”
RECENT HONORS IN THE MAJOR GRADUATE EARNS FULBRIGHT AWARD
August 24, 2021
[FSU News] The Honors Program would like to recognize and congratulate recent Honors in the Major graduate, Beatrice Dain, as one of three FSU students to receive the Fulbright Award. "Dain will be working toward her master's in global security and borders at Queens University in Belfast, North Ireland.
“It was only about 22 years ago that the conflict in Northern Ireland ended,” she said. “So many of the people in this area experienced the conflict firsthand. They are living testimony to the pain, violence and reconciliation that has come with this border.”
“To be able to talk with them will be fascinating and it couldn’t happen anywhere else. I am grateful to the Fulbright for that.”